Le Papillon (restaurant)
Encyclopedia
Le Papillon is a French
restaurant
located in San Jose, California
.
Le Papillon is located on a busy street corner between a hotel and a strip mall. Although the surrounding area is prosaic, the restaurant is "elegant (and expensive)". Customers are pampered by "many people in suits". Le Papillon specializes in contemporary French cuisine.
Owner Mike Mashayekh opened Le Papillon in 1977 in a remodeled coffee shop at its current location. Mashayekh is also co-owner of the La Foret restaurant (another French restaurant in San Jose) with John Davoudi. Mashayekh and Davoudi were friends before they immigrated to the United States. They had been in the Iranian Army together before the overthrow
of the Shah.
Before moving to San Jose, Mashayekh had lived in Santa Maria, California
where he met and married the mother of Scott Cooper (Le Papillon's Executive Chef). Cooper was a young boy at the time. The family moved to San Jose so that Mashayekh could attend San Jose State University
.
and was 12 years old when his stepfather Mike Mashayekh opened Le Papillon. Cooper attended Bret Harte Junior High
and Leland High School in San Jose. Cooper joined Le Papillon's staff in 1992. He started as a dishwasher, and moved up to bus boy, prep cook, pantry, line cook, and many other positions, before becoming the Executive Chef. He also cooked for eight years at La Foret, the sister restaurant of Le Papillon. Cooper's wife is a niece of Mashayekh's partner John Davoudi. Cooper is an avid exerciser who runs
and mountain bikes
.
Brian Fernando is Sous Chef.
Camron Mashayekh (Mike Mashayekh's son) is Le Papillon's General Manager
and Sommelier
.
Jondel Goldsmith is in charge of Catering
and Special Events.
Omid Najian is Assistant Catering Director.
, in its San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants 2010, rated Le Papillon 27/30 for food, 23/30 for decor, and 27/30 for service. Zagat interprets these ratings as "extraordinary to perfection" for food and service, and "very good to excellent" for decor. Also, Zagat found Le Papillon to be one of the top two restaurants in the South Bay Area for service.
The 2005 Zagat Survey ranked Le Papillon as one of the Bay Area
's top five restaurants, giving it the highest marks for any Bay Area restaurant south of San Francisco.
GAYOT.com
(2010) lists Le Papillon as one of its "Top 10 San Jose Food Rating Restaurants" and as one of its "Top 10 San Jose Romantic Restaurants", giving Le Papillon a rating of 16/20 ("Very Good").
conducted weekly street demonstrations
at Le Papillon from April 3, 2010 to October 23, 2010, protesting the serving of foie gras
by the restaurant. The weekly protest was conducted by Santa Clara County Activists for Animals (SCCAA), a local group of animal-protection advocates. The protesters held signs and spoke to restaurant customers, offering them literature and asking them to ask the restaurant to stop serving foie gras. The protest
ers expressed the view that the method of foie gras production, including the force-feeding of ducks, is cruel and inhumane.
The protests ended when the restaurant removed foie gras from their menu and informed SCCAA that they would no longer serve it.
A California law (SB 1520)
enacted in 2004 prohibits the production and sale of foie gras in California, but the law doesn't go into effect until July 1, 2012.
French cuisine
French cuisine is a style of food preparation originating from France that has developed from centuries of social change. In the Middle Ages, Guillaume Tirel , a court chef, authored Le Viandier, one of the earliest recipe collections of Medieval France...
restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
located in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
.
Le Papillon is located on a busy street corner between a hotel and a strip mall. Although the surrounding area is prosaic, the restaurant is "elegant (and expensive)". Customers are pampered by "many people in suits". Le Papillon specializes in contemporary French cuisine.
Owner Mike Mashayekh opened Le Papillon in 1977 in a remodeled coffee shop at its current location. Mashayekh is also co-owner of the La Foret restaurant (another French restaurant in San Jose) with John Davoudi. Mashayekh and Davoudi were friends before they immigrated to the United States. They had been in the Iranian Army together before the overthrow
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
of the Shah.
Before moving to San Jose, Mashayekh had lived in Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County, on the Central Coast of California. The 2010 census population was 100,062, putting it ahead of Santa Barbara for the first time and making it the largest city in the county...
where he met and married the mother of Scott Cooper (Le Papillon's Executive Chef). Cooper was a young boy at the time. The family moved to San Jose so that Mashayekh could attend San Jose State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
.
Staff
Executive Chef Scott Cooper was born in Santa Maria, CaliforniaSanta Maria, California
Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County, on the Central Coast of California. The 2010 census population was 100,062, putting it ahead of Santa Barbara for the first time and making it the largest city in the county...
and was 12 years old when his stepfather Mike Mashayekh opened Le Papillon. Cooper attended Bret Harte Junior High
Bret Harte Middle School (San Jose, California)
Bret Harte Middle School is a public middle school located in San Jose, California, United States in the San Jose Unified School District. The school is a National Blue Ribbon school and California Distinguished School...
and Leland High School in San Jose. Cooper joined Le Papillon's staff in 1992. He started as a dishwasher, and moved up to bus boy, prep cook, pantry, line cook, and many other positions, before becoming the Executive Chef. He also cooked for eight years at La Foret, the sister restaurant of Le Papillon. Cooper's wife is a niece of Mashayekh's partner John Davoudi. Cooper is an avid exerciser who runs
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
and mountain bikes
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
.
Brian Fernando is Sous Chef.
Camron Mashayekh (Mike Mashayekh's son) is Le Papillon's General Manager
Restaurant management
Restaurant management is the profession of managing a restaurant. Associate, bachelor, and graduate degree programs are offered in restaurant management by community colleges, junior colleges, and some universities in the United States.-Floor management:...
and Sommelier
Sommelier
A sommelier , or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, commonly working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food matching...
.
Jondel Goldsmith is in charge of Catering
Catering
Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
and Special Events.
Omid Najian is Assistant Catering Director.
Ratings
Zagat SurveyZagat Survey
Zagat Survey was established by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979 as a way to collect and correlate the ratings of restaurants by diners. For their first guide, covering New York City, the Zagats surveyed their friends. As of 2005, the Zagat Survey included 70 cities, with reviews based on the input of...
, in its San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants 2010, rated Le Papillon 27/30 for food, 23/30 for decor, and 27/30 for service. Zagat interprets these ratings as "extraordinary to perfection" for food and service, and "very good to excellent" for decor. Also, Zagat found Le Papillon to be one of the top two restaurants in the South Bay Area for service.
The 2005 Zagat Survey ranked Le Papillon as one of the Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
's top five restaurants, giving it the highest marks for any Bay Area restaurant south of San Francisco.
GAYOT.com
André Gayot
André Gayot is a French restaurant critic. With his friends Gault and Millau, he coined and promoted the term "Nouvelle Cuisine" in the early 1970s. In 1981 he began publishing a series of guidebooks known as Gayot Guides, where restaurants are rated on a 20-point scale, based on the system of...
(2010) lists Le Papillon as one of its "Top 10 San Jose Food Rating Restaurants" and as one of its "Top 10 San Jose Romantic Restaurants", giving Le Papillon a rating of 16/20 ("Very Good").
Foie gras protests in 2010
Animal activistsAnimal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
conducted weekly street demonstrations
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
at Le Papillon from April 3, 2010 to October 23, 2010, protesting the serving of foie gras
Foie gras
Foie gras ; French for "fat liver") is a food product made of the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially fattened. This fattening is typically achieved through gavage corn, according to French law, though outside of France it is occasionally produced using natural feeding...
by the restaurant. The weekly protest was conducted by Santa Clara County Activists for Animals (SCCAA), a local group of animal-protection advocates. The protesters held signs and spoke to restaurant customers, offering them literature and asking them to ask the restaurant to stop serving foie gras. The protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
ers expressed the view that the method of foie gras production, including the force-feeding of ducks, is cruel and inhumane.
The protests ended when the restaurant removed foie gras from their menu and informed SCCAA that they would no longer serve it.
A California law (SB 1520)
California foie gras law
The California foie gras law is a California State statute enacted in 2004 that prohibits the "force feed[ing of] a bird for the purpose of enlarging the bird's liver beyond normal size" as well as the sale of products that are a result of this process...
enacted in 2004 prohibits the production and sale of foie gras in California, but the law doesn't go into effect until July 1, 2012.
See also
- Foie gras controversyFoie gras controversyThe production of foie gras involves the controversial force-feeding of birds with more food than they would eat in the wild, and more than they would voluntarily eat domestically...
- California Health and Safety CodeCalifornia Health and Safety CodeCalifornia Law consists of 29 codes, covering various subject areas, the State Constitution and Statutes. The California Health and Safety Code is the code covering the subject areas of health and safety.-External links:...
- West San JoseWest San Jose, San Jose, CaliforniaWest San Jose is the westernmost neighborhood in San Jose, California. The area of West San Jose is bounded on the north by the city of Santa Clara, on the east by San Tomas Expressway, on the south by Prospect Road, and on the west by De Anza Boulevard...
External links
- Le Papillon – official website
- La Foret Restaurant, San Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
-- sister restaurant to Le Papillon